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Skip Those Second Helpings; Leave Room For Cheesecake

Bev Bennett Los Angeles Times Service

The sign of a true dessert lover is someone who will skip a second helping of Thanksgiving stuffing to leave room for the last course.

A true dessert lover doesn’t “ooh” and “ahh” over the turkey when it’s presented at the table, but sneaks back to the kitchen to see what’s been baking.

A true dessert lover pulls out all the stops - the cream, eggs and sugar - that make a sweet as rich as possible.

Cranberry Cheesecake is a dessert lover’s dream. The vanilla filling is studded with Grand Marnier-soaked dried cranberries. The crust is a butter-saturated cookie dough. And as a crowning touch, the cake is topped with a cranberry topping.

Cheesecakes sometimes have a reputation for being tricky because they can crack as they cool. To avoid the problem, don’t overbeat the cream cheese batter and introduce a lot of air. Also, cool the cake down gradually to avoid shock. If your cheesecake still has a fault line, spread the topping over the cake as soon as it comes from the oven.

In any case, it’s bound to look prettier than a bowl of steamed Brussels sprouts.

Cranberry Cheesecake

Crust (recipe follows)

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange-flavored liqueur

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

Cranberry topping (recipe follows)

Prepare crust. Pat on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of 7-inch springform pan. Chill while preparing filling.

Soak dried cranberries in Grand Marnier 1 hour.

Meanwhile, blend cream cheese, cream and sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in vanilla extract. Add salt. Stir in cranberries and any remaining liqueur.

Gently pour filling into prepared crust. Place springform pan inside slightly larger pan, and add 1 inch water to outside pan. Bake cheesecake at 300 degrees 1-1/4 hours or until it no longer quivers. Turn off heat. Let rest in oven 30 minutes. Remove to cool at room temperature 1 hour, then chill 3 to 4 hours.

Prepare cranberry topping. To serve, cut cheesecake into 6 slices and top each with a dollop of topping.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, including crust and topping: 718 calories, 40.8 grams fat (51 percent fat calories), 12 grams protein, 72 grams carbohydrate, 237 milligrams cholesterol, 343 milligrams sodium.

Crust

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

1 cup flour less 2 tablespoons

Mix together butter and sugar in bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Stir in flour 1/4 cup at a time until mixture comes together in ball.

Yield: 1 (7-inch) pie crust.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 151 calories, 7.8 grams fat (46 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 78 milligrams sodium.

Cranberry Topping

2 cups fresh cranberries

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1/4 cup sugar (see note)

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Combine cranberries, Grand Marnier, sugar and grated rind in medium pan. Cook over medium heat until cranberries burst and mixture is thick and saucelike, 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: 1 cup.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 75 calories, 0.1 grams fat (1 percent fat calories), no protein, 15 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, no sodium.

Note: Sauce should be distinctly sweet-tart. Recipe will vary according to cranberries used. If too tart, add more sugar. If too sweet, add lemon juice by the teaspoonful.